Memorandum sheet holder



April 24, 1951 H. B. SHEPARD MEMORANDUM SHEET HOLDER Filed May 51, 149

INVENToR. HERMJHN B- SHEPBRD YM TLM Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICEv 2,550,385 l MEMORANDUM SHEET HOLDER Herman B. Shepard, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Application May 31, 1949, serial No. 96,306

4 Claims.

The present invention pertains to note books or memorandum devices of the loose leaf type.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a loose leaf container or note book having novel means to select and retain any particular sheet of note paper in `a, position either for taking notes or for quick reference thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a loose leaf container having a hinged icover flap that opens from the top toward the bottom and is therefore more natural and easy to handle in taking notes than the usual side or top pivoted covers of pres-ent day note books.

A salient feature of the invention is the provision for use of perforated loose leaf sheets or exible cards in a cooperative loose leaf container so formed that sheets or cards can be rearranged at will but may also be properly bound and kept together by cooperationwith a novel indexing or selecting means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a loose leaf container or memorandum book having novel plunger or oscillating pin means whereby the hinged cover flap may be convenie'ntly maintained in either a closed or open position. l Other novel features of improvement contributing to the eiciency of operation of the device either in taking notes .or making reference thereto will be apparent and'readily underv stood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

trating the memorandum device in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device held in open position by the plunger means; Y

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1 and'looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and clearly illustrating the mannerA Fig. '7 is an elevation in perspective similar t Fig. 2 but showing a modication of the container construction. Y Referring to the drawing, the numeral 8 generally indicates the loose leaf container or binder, which may be made of Iany suitable material such as plastic, fiber board, cardboard, leather and the like.

The rectangular container '8 is formed with a lower pocket portion I0, side panels I2, back panel I4 and front panel I6, and a bottom I'I joining said panels. In the preferred embodiment, the sides or panels I2 :are provided iwith extensions I3 (Figs. 3 and 4) which are folded and overlapped across the back panel I4 and are secured thereto and to each other by means such `as staples I5. This Vis illustrated best in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The back and front panels I4, |16 are considerably wider than side panels I 2.

The front panel I -6 has a fold or integral hinge I8 intermediate its length which forms a, hinged cover flapZl). The cover ap '20 is provided with a small horizontal slot or opening 22 located centrally of the fold I8. 'Iheportion of the front panel I6 below hinge |18 is'provided Kwith an integral, horizontal strap 24, preferably formed by slits cut through the front .panel I6. Through this strap 2 4 a plunger' or bar 26 is slidably mounted. The plunger 26 includes a head portion 28 rand. an elongated body portion 30.

There are of course various other ways of mounting a plunger, bar or pin member that can be used to accomplish the required insertion and retraction with respect to the cover slot 22. l

Loose paper sheets on thin cards, one of which is shown in Fig. 6, are adapted to fit in the container 8 and these sheets are provided with perforated slotsl 22a which are similar in size and arrangement to the slot 22 in the front panel I6. When a number of these paper sheets or Cards 32 are placed in the pocket portion IIJ with their slots 22a in alignment with the slot 22 of the front panel I6, the memorandum device is ready for use.

In describing the operation of the device, it will be assumed that the plunger or bar 26 is in the full line position shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the body portion 36 extends across the fold I8 and over the outside of cover flap 20, and thus acts to hold said cover flap firmly against the containedv sheets 32. To open the device, the plunger 26 is retracted so that the body 30 is completely below the fold I8, as shown in the dotted line position of Fig. 1. The cover flap 20 may then be swung down to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 after which the plunger 26 is pushed through the slot or opening 22 into a position that will hold the cover flap 20 partially open and separated from the thus clamped sheets 32. If it is desired to select for use any sheet other than the iirst, it is necessary only to fold back the cover iiap 20 and sheets 32a and to insert the plunger 26 through slot 22 in the panel I6 and the slots 22a of the turned down sheets In this manner the separated sheets 32a are held away from the selected sheet 32, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Referring now to Fig. 7, a modication of the memorandum device is shown in which sides l2a of the container 8 are extended and terminate substantially even with the top edge of the back panel i4. In this form the sheets 32 are more completely protected and less likely to be displaced from container 8 of the device.

It Will be readily apparent from the above description that the memorandum device or book may be put to a large number of desired uses. Forexample, it may contain notes to be used whenY making a public address, the plunger 26 acting to hold the book open to any desired sheet. When used for taking notes it has a decided advantage over known prior books or devices in that each sheet may be used to cover one particular subject, so that at a later time when additional information becomes available, the sheets may be easily removed, rearranged and placed back in the book in any desired order without having to tear or release the sheets from cumbersome securing devices. It is a simple matter to retract the plunger 25, turn down the cover iiap 2l] and the pages not to be used, and push the plunger through the slots 22 and 22a to maintain the sheets 32a separate.

It is obvious that the memorandum device of this invention may be made in any desired size, depending on the particular use. For example, it may be made small enough -to it in the pocket when used as a memorandum pad-or address book, or larger for lecture and classroom use.

Since other equivalent modifications and Variations in detail will be prompted by the disclosure which -has been made, the present invention is to be limited only to the scope and spirit of the appended claims. w

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent of the United States is:

1. A loose leaf container comprising a rectangular pocket portion including front, rear, and

side panels and a bottom connecting all of said panels, said front panel having a transverse fold intermediate its length providing a hinged cover flap, and an opening through said cover iiap; and a plunger mounted on said front panel below the transverse fold for movement through and out of saidv opening to maintain said cover flap in an open or-closed position.,

2. A loose leaf container comprisingk a rec- 4 I tangular pocket portion including front, rear and side panels and a bottom connecting all of said panels, said front and rear panels each being considerably wider than and extending upwardly well above said side panels, said front panel having a transverse fold intermediate its length and in substantial alignment with the upper edges of the side panels, and an elongated opening through said front panel intermediate the length of said fold; and means including a plunger slidably secured on the outside of the lfront panel to cooperate alternatively with said opening and the outside of the hinged portion of the front panel to hold Said hinged portion in an open or closed position.

3. YA notebook comprising in combination a pocket portion, said pocket including front, rear and side panels and a bottom connecting all of said panels, said front and rear panels each being wider than and extending upwardly well ybeyond said side panels, said front panel being transversely hinged and provided with an opening therethrough intermediate said transverse hinge; paper sheets or cards of a size and conguration to iit into said pocket portion and eX- tend upwardly between the front and rear panels, said paper sheets or cards having perforated openings aligned lwith' the .front panel opening; and bar means mounted on the outside of said iront panel for movement into and out of the front panel opening and the aligned openings of the paper sheets or cards to separate any number of said sheets or cards.

4. A loose leaf vcontainer comprising a rectangular pocket portion including front, rear and side panels and a bottom connecting all of said panels, said front and, rear panels each being considerably wider than and extending upwardly Well above said side panels, said side panels each having a lateral `extension -olded over and secured to said rear panel, and said front panel being provided with a central clongated horizontal opening therethrough approximately on a level with the-upper edges of said side panels and folded along'said openingA to form a hinged cover flap, and said front panel being provided with a strap on the outside below said cover iiap; and a plunger slidably secured to said front panel by said strap for alternate movement through said opening and out of said opening and over the outside of said cover flap.

Y HERMAN B. SHEPARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 37,949 Buswell Mar. 24, 1863 160,501 Alderson Mar. 9, 1875 834,003 Barton Apr. 7, 1908 1,510,621 Jedel Oct. 7, 1924 

